Over a year ago I promised I would capture what life in Mogadishu is like right here on this forum! I’ve just moved into a new apartment in Mogadishu, Somalia, and thought people might find it interesting to see what modern housing in the city looks like.

Mogadishu has a huge range of housing, from older, more traditional homes to increasingly modern apartment developments, particularly in newer parts of the city. I wanted to document my own move and give a little glimpse into everyday life and housing here beyond the usual images people see of Somalia.

I’ve put together a short vlog showing the new flat, the move, and a little more of Mogadishu along the way.

Would be interested to hear what people think and what you’d like to see more of from Somalia.

Following up on my previous post, I met with Abdikarim, the 17-year-old polio survivor again today at his home and recorded a short video.
As shown in the video, his right leg is deformed from infant polio, leaving him entirely dependent on basic crutches. Years of heavy reliance on these crutches have even caused his elbows and hands to become slightly bent. Seeing him navigate unpaved roads under that kind of physical strain makes it clear how much a 4-wheeled motorcycle or specialized tricycle would literally change his life.
He is deeply grateful for everyone’s support. If any of you are in Darusalam, Mogadishu and willing to meet up with him, he’s open to it.

I’m 27F and live in London. I give my mum £1,000 ayuuto every month and honestly I’m starting to struggle with it.

I don’t earn that much and obviously I have to pay for travel to work, food, my own expenses etc. By the end of the month I literally have nothing left.

My mum does work full time and she pays the bills, so I know I’m not the only one contributing to the household. She also sends some money back home and my brother is currently in xabsi, so it’s basically me and my mum helping him out and sending him money when he needs it.

I love my mum and I don’t mind helping her, but I’m starting to feel like being the youngest and only daughter has put a lot of pressure on me. I feel like I’m expected to just keep giving without really thinking about what I need for myself.

I can’t even afford driving lessons at this point. I have barely any savings and I’m 27. I want to be able to save, learn to drive, eventually move out and just have some sort of financial security for myself.

The thing is I feel SO guilty even thinking about reducing the £1,000. Part of me feels like I’m being selfish because my mum needs the money and I know we have family responsibilities. But at the same time, I’m struggling too.

I’m thinking maybe I should reduce it to £500-700 a month so I can actually save something. I’d still be helping, just not giving away basically everything I have.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Especially people living in the UK/London. How do you balance helping your parents/family with actually trying to build your own life?

Because honestly I don’t know if I’m being selfish or if I’ve just taken on too much.

I tried to be a good and nice sister to him by always helping him by applying jobs for him and hugging him. But every time we have an argument or misunderstanding conversation he be like don’t let me hit you. I feel so threatened then. This is common every or two week when we have an argument mostly started by him he threatens me. He thinks beating someone will make them act right but it doesn’t work like that when you start the argument. He also married back home. I feel so worried for the girl. He’s gonna start threatening the girl whenever they have arguments too. I’m a girl that is 22 and he is 33. I don’t know why he is like that when my father never hit my mom and they are happily married. Any advice for me please?

Asc

Has anyone here found their purpose? If you feel like you’ve found your purpose and are actively working toward it plese tell us. How did you discover what you wanted to do? Was there a specific experience, person, or realization that inspired you? And how is it going so far?

Frustrating. Basically I got recommended to use this marriage website by a friend it’s a famous one (sunnahmatch)
Basically this Somali guy wanted to talk to me he asked me where I was born I told him Mogadishu he started acting weird he said I only go for someone from Somaliland. okay? You are literally the one who ADDED me I don’t even know you. Also how do you reject someone based on this besides its not even a real border, I noticed few other ones also put only somaliland which I didn’t pay attention to initially. I’m just weirded out by this experience I never had encounters like this and they have the audacity to add random Somali girls too. Broski you live in a western country with a western passport why don’t you go live there sorry there is millions of Somalis. may Allah help these people with this mentality that’s the only thing that lives rent free in their heads

I'm looking to develop a version of my mobile party game, Karibu Play, specifically for the Somali community, with games like Charades, Impostor, trivia and other party games built around Somali culture, people, places, language and humour.

I'm based in Kenya, and I originally built the game for the Kenyan market. The Kenyan version is already live, so I have the app, technology and game systems already working. Now I want to expand the idea and build a version that feels genuinely Somali rather than simply translating the Kenyan content.

I'm looking for a Somali person who would be interested in partnering with me on this, particularly someone who understands Somali culture and can help create and shape the content.

I would handle the development and technical side. You would help bring the Somali perspective and content to the game.

(mods, please dont take this down !) i just had to share ! END F.G.M fashion show in kenya ! both somali & kenyan models, and it affects way to many girls. 🤍

even though this fashion show (most likely) wasnt taken place in the somali part of kenya, it is still a step forward. i hope to see more & more of this, in (african) countries where somalis live. but "most importantly"; somali land. that being mainland somalia (including northern), kenya, ethiopia & djibouti !

for the girls who married out of culture, how did your parents react initially and how did they approve?

The Banadir Regional Administration has announced the allocation of 1,058 plots of land to families affected by Mogadishu’s urban modernization projects, as the government continues its campaign to redevelop the capital while facing mounting accusations of land grabbing and corruption.

I’m sure most of you guys have seen that infamous video of that retired US General recounting the seven countries the US was supposedly going to war with after 711 and one of them was Somalia.

Like why was Somalia on Netanyahu’s hit list?

You could argue the other six were obstacles to their greater Israiil project or regional dominance or whatever but we are all the way in Africa.

We were literally a decade into a nasty civil war. We had no functioning government institutions, no standing army and if I’m remembering correctly Al-Shabaab didn’t even exist yet.

So why on earth were we on the list? Like I get it some of our people have the habit of sticking their nose into conflicts that have absolutely nothing to do with us which might make the world order give us the occasional side eye aka unnecessary enemies but was that really enough to warrant being included in the whole Clean Break agenda?

Are there any pros to joining ayuuto I get it if you have to pay for something upfront like tuition or want to avoid interest but If you just have a problem with saving what makes you think your not gonna spend it right away. Also it your own money and your gonna have to pay it back anyways so whats the point. You could get scammed so easily too.

Hi so I’m 28 yrs old and ever since I was in my early 20s I’ve been giving money to my mum, first it was out of genuine support till she started demanding for more n more then it turned ugly.

She said to cover her expenses (rent,bills) so me and my siblings we all went half’s to cover the expenses because she’d threaten to kick us out, so to not be put out I’d give as much money as I could.

She then said I also need spending money not just my expenses covered so I’d out of genuine love would give her my card etc and I always wanted that mummy and daughter bond and thought that was the only way I could feel seen.

Which didn’t work because my mum wanted more money so she put most of my siblings out which then terrified me but thing is I was fired from my job at the time.

I knew it was over for me, she told me to move to look for a new place so I couldn’t find anything so she told me to go live in a shared accommodation with other men because that’ll be quicker for me to get out of her house.

My mental health took the biggest hit my health took the worst turn, I was panicking shit scared but by Allahs will something happened and we had to move homes so she couldn’t put me out as she needed my help.

London is real expensive to just simply move out and find a place.

Thing is she’s in thousands of debt now because she stopped paying her bills because she couldn’t careless about it, so im the one dealing with her debts but now she’s saying I have to add my part in the rent too (which she has enough money for) all because i also live here as an adult… I told her I can’t do it I can’t pay off large debts off and rent that’ll be entire pay check.

So now she went behind my back and gave half the rent to the landlord, the landlord called me and said where’s the rest of the money?? I was so confused so I told my mum and she said that’s for you to cover ,

but I didn’t agree to this she never told me directly besides when we got into an argument and I told her I’m not paying rent I’m paying off debts we’re in with the bailiff because of her decision to suddenly stop paying bills (she only paid it 2 months then stopped)

She still went a head again now and did it again were she only paid her half of the rent to him, she’s now months in debt with the rent and saying I have to pay as I’m on the tenancy agreement with her.

Thing is I don’t want to pay because i don’t want to anymore Im so angry at her I’m full of so much resentment I don’t even want to go halves on anything with her I’m fact I’m ok with moving out but I’m just scarred because now she’s in arrears with the rent.

I Litch went on my first ever holiday at 26 and even then a family paid for it because all my money was spent on her and avoiding her evilness sometimes i wonder why I got her as a mother??

This is litch nothing compared to what she’s done to my other siblings their experiences with her was hell on this earth…

She’s the biggest set back of life I spent my 20s avoiding her wrath avoiding her psychological tactics and evilness im so far behind my peers because I spent my years healing from her childhood trauma she put me through and the additional traumas I endured in my 20s - I’m so so far behind in life it’s absolutely crazy she stunted my growth in the worst way.

I don’t want to be stuck in her cycle if I pay this rent money she’s in debt with, I’ll be left with nothing!! I don’t want to do this but now I’m trapped because the landlord wants he’s money what should I do??

is this really a thing or is it the borough im from? cause i now know five kids, who were/are sent to dhaqan celis for weight loss. that being the main reason, and quran being second. not really somali language and/or culture, as they know it well. that being cause of living & daily-life. surrounded by family & other somalis. in the borough, but also city (oslo) in general.

NOTE: these kids are/were all overweight, at the ages 6-12. from not being so active, and not eating optimal etc. and maybe even genetics (i doubt). they (five kids, total) were sent different: somalia (mainland & northern) & ethiopia (somali region).

Hello,

As a Somali creative myself I haven’t seen alot of young diaspora Somalis in this field. I got a background in Film and TV, Journalism.

I’m looking to connect with any of you guys preferably those based in London? In their early 20s.

If that’s you feel free to shoot me a message Insha’Allah

I'm flying Rough Rubies and Emeralds out of Somaliland (Hargeso). And I’m flying it into the UK. I need help making the Mineral license and the export licence in Hargeso. If I leave without these documents my shipment will withheld. I can pay for anyone’s time who helps me obtain them. And if you have any information about gemstones it would be much appreciated. Thank you

For some context the hijacking part is about a Lufthansa plane that was hijacked in 1977, when the plane was eventually brought to Mogadishu. Somalia allowed West Germany’s GSG 9 counter terrorism unit to storm the plane and rescue the 87 passengers, with support from the Somali Armed Forces. After that West Germany and Somalia developed closer ties. Lufthansa ended up servicing Somali Airlines planes, while the West German government also gave loans to Somalia to help with development.

I don’t really have anyone to talk to, so I be getting so bored but heyyy yall

Salama calaykum I hope you're all fine so I came across this the other day and her story is heartbreaking and sad wllhi but at the same time you'll be surprised to see the sheer amount of resilience , wisdom and samir haboryaros possessing , she's fighting for the recognition of her denied and murdered sons case and needs support , please support her if you can , I hope she will eventually get justice ,Ilaahyna boga ha u qabojiya and xasibyallah wa nicma wakil on the abuser neglectful father and the step mom